Educational toy

Abstract

An educational toy is provided which includes a block of material, preferably a solid block of wood or plastic in the shape of a board and with a plurality of holes extending completely therethrough. A number of pegs are also provided which fit loosely into the holes in the board and have a corresponding cross sectional shape as the holes. In preferred embodiments, these pegs are substantially longer than the thickness of the board so that they protrude upwardly from the board when placed in position in the holes with the board on a table or other flat backing surface. One side of the board includes respective letters of the alphabet adjacent the holes, while the other side of the board includes the numbers 1 to 26 adjacent the respective holes. Each of the pegs is provided at one end with a letter and at the opposite end with a number, so that a matching of the letters on the pegs with the letters adjacent the holes can be accommodated with one side of the board facing upwardly, while a matching of the numbered ends of the pegs with the numbered holes is accommodated when the board is turned over. In preferred embodiments, the alphabet is arranged in rows on the board, as is the number arrangement at the opposite end of the board, and each of these rows are colored a different color, with the respective pegs being correspondingly colored, so that subgroups of the alphabet and/or of the numbers, can be easily matched by the color code indication on the board and the pegs. In particularly preferred embodiments, additional through holes are arranged near one side of the board to accommodate insertion of the pegs therein to form different words and/or to carry out different simple arithmetic steps, with an additional set of pegs having the vowels at one end thereof and arithmetic symbols at the opposite end thereof. Certain preferred embodiments include braille indicia for the respective colors, letters, and numbers, so as to accommodate use of the toy by blind persons.

I claim: 
     
       1. An educational toy comprising: (a) a board having a plurality of holes on a first portion of a front surface and a back surface of said board, a first set comprising a plurality of indicia representing a language concept being positioned on the front surface of the board, each member of the first set being associated with a respective one of said holes, a second set comprising a plurality of indicia representing a mathematical concept being positioned on the back surface of the board, each member of the second set being associated with a respective one of said holes and aperture means in said board on a second portion of said front and back surfaces; and   (b) a plurality of pegs, each peg corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said holes, one member of the first set of indicia being positioned on one end of each of said pegs, and one member of the second set of indicia being positioned on the opposite end of said pegs, said pegs being placeable within said holes on said first portion for accommodating learning of the members of said sets by associating indicia on said pegs with the indicia associated with the holes and said pegs being placeable within said aperture means on said second portion for utilizing the members of the sets to learn more advanced aspects of said concepts.   
     
     
       2. An educational toy according to claim 1, wherein said holes are arranged in a plurality of rows. 
     
     
       3. An educational toy according to claim 2, wherein said aperture means comprises a row of indicialess openings on each of said surfaces, all of the holes, pegs, and openings being of the same cross-sectional shape, whereby selected pegs can be interchangeably placed in said openings for learning the concepts represented by the sets of indicia. 
     
     
       4. An educational toy according to claim 2, wherein the indicia of the sets are arranged in sequential order within each row and from row to row. 
     
     
       5. An educational toy according to claim 1 or 2 or 3 or 4, wherein the indicia of the first set are positionally coordinated to the indicia of the second set such that, when the pegs are placed in the holes with the indicia on one end of the pegs matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on one surface of the board, the indicia on the opposite end of the pegs will be matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on the other side of the board. 
     
     
       6. An educational toy according to claim 1, further comprising a backing-board associatable with both said front and rear surfaces so as to block one end of the holes. 
     
     
       7. An educational toy according to claim 6, wherein the backing-board is secured to the board by C-clips. 
     
     
       8. An educational toy according to claims 3 or 4, wherein each of the plurality of rows or holes is provided with a separate color band, each color band being of a different color, and wherein pegs bearing indicia corresponding to indicia associated with a particular row of holes are formed of the same coloration as the color band that the particular row of holes is provided with, whereby the members of the sets can be learned in groups, and whereby the learning of colors is facilitated. 
     
     
       9. An educational toy according to claim 1, wherein said set of language indicia are letters of the alphabet. 
     
     
       10. An educational toy according to claim 9, wherein the indicia are formed as Braille symbols. 
     
     
       11. An educational toy according to claim 1, wherein the indicia of the first set are positionally coordinated to the indicia of the second set such that, when the pegs are placed in the holes with the indicia on one end of the pegs matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on one surface of the board, the indicia on the opposite end of the pegs will be matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on the other side of the board. 
     
     
       12. An educational toy according to claim 1, wherein said aperture means is an indicialess opening in the form of a slot sized to receive any of a plurality of said pegs, whereby selected pegs can be interchangeably placed in said opening for learning the concepts represented by the sets of indicia. 
     
     
       13. An educational toy according to claim 2, wherein each hole within each respective row of the plurality of rows of holes is of a different shape from the other holes within the respective row, and wherein each of said pegs is provided with a cross-sectional shape which will fit in one of the holes when the indicia on the peg is properly associated with the indicia associated with the hole. 
     
     
       14. An educational toy according to claim 13, wherein the indicia of the first set are positionally coordinated to the indicia of the second set such that, when the pegs are placed in the holes with the indicia on one end of the pegs matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on one surface of the board, the indicia on the opposite end of the pegs will be matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on the other side of the board. 
     
     
       15. An educational toy according to claim 14, wherein said aperture means is an indicialess opening in the form of a slot sized to receive any of a plurality of said pegs, whereby selected pegs can be interchangeably placed in said opening for learning the concepts represented by the sets of indicia. 
     
     
       16. An educational toy according to claim 1, wherein said holes extend completely through said board from said first side to said second side. 
     
     
       17. An educational toy according to claim 1 or 16, wherein said plurality of pegs are equal in number to the number of holes on the first portion of one of said surfaces of the board, and wherein the members of the sets of indicia associated with each hole are the same as the members of the sets of indicia on each respective peg placeable therein. 
     
     
       18. An educational toy according to claim 17, wherein said first set of indicia comprises numbers and mathematical symbols and said second set comprises letter of an alphabet. 
     
     
       19. An educational toy comprising: (a) a board having a plurality of holes on a front surface and on a back surface of said board, a first set of indicia representing a first concept being positioned on the front surface of the board, one member of the first set being associated with each of said holes, a second set of indicia representing a second concept being positioned on the back surface of the board, one member of the second set being associated with each of said holes; and   (b) a plurality of pegs, each peg corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said holes, one member of the first set of indicia being positioned on one end of each of said pegs, and one member of the second set of indicia being positioned on the opposite end of said pegs, whereby said pegs can be placed within said holes for accommodating learning of the members of said sets by associating indicia on said pegs with the indicia associated with the holes, wherein said holes are arranged in a plurality of rows and wherein said plurality of pegs are of different lengths, said peg lengths being chosen so as to progressively increase in height when the pegs are inserted within each of said plurality of rows of holes with the indicia on an end of each of the pegs properly matched to a respective indicia associated with each of the holes.   
     
     
       20. An educational toy according to claim 19, wherein the indicia of the first set are positionally coordinated to the indicia of the second set such that, when the pegs are placed in the holes with the indicia on one end of the pegs matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on one surface of the board, the indicia on the opposite end of the pegs will be matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on the other side of the board. 
     
     
       21. An educational toy according to claim 19, wherein each of the plurality of rows of holes is provided with a separate color band, each color band being of a different color, and wherein pegs bearing indicia corresponding to indicia associated with a particular row of holes are formed of the same coloration as the color band that the particular row of holes is provided with, whereby the members of the sets can be learned in groups, and whereby the learning of colors is facilitated. 
     
     
       22. An educational toy comprising: (a) a board having a plurality of holes on a front surface and on a back surface of said board, a first set of indicia representing a first concept being positioned on the front surface of the board, one member of the first set being associated with each of said holes, a second set of indicia representing a second concept being positioned on the back surface of the board, one member of the second set being associated with each of said holes; and   (b) a plurality of pegs, each peg corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said holes, one member of the first set of indicia being positioned on one end of each of said pegs, and one member of the second set of indicia being positioned on the opposite end of said pegs, whereby said pegs can be placed within said holes for accommodating learning of the members of said sets by associating indicia on said pegs with the indicia associated with the holes, wherein said holes are arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein each hole within each respective row of the plurality of rows of holes is of a different shape from the other holes within the respective row, and wherein each of said pegs is provided with a cross-sectional shape which will fit in one of the holes when the indicia on the peg is properly associated with the indicia associated with the hole, wherein said board is provided with an indicialess opening in the form of a slot sized to receive any of a plurality of said pegs, whereby selected pegs can be interchangeably placed in said opening for learning the concepts represented by the sets of indicia, and wherein each of the plurality of rows of holes is provided with a color band, each color band being of a different color and wherein each of said plurality of pegs is of a different cross-sectional shape and color from all of the other of said pegs.   
     
     
       23. An educational toy comprising: (a) a board having a plurality of holes on a front surface and a back surface of said board, a first set of indicia representing a first concept being positioned on the front surface of the board, one member of the first set being associated with each of said holes, a second set of indicia representing a second concept being positioned on the back surface of the board, one member of the second set being associated with each of said holes; and   (b) a plurality of pegs, each peg corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said holes, one member of the first set of indicia being positioned on one end of each of said pegs, and one member of the second set of indicia being positioned on the opposite end of said pegs, whereby said pegs can be placed within said holes for accommodating learning of the members of said sets by associating indicia on said pegs with the indicia associated with the holes, wherein said holes are arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein each hole within each respective row of the plurality of holes is of a different shape from the other holes within the respective row, and wherein each of said pegs is provided with a cross-sectional shape which will fit in one of the holes when the indicia on the peg is properly associated with the indicia associated with the hole, wherein the indicia of the first set are positionally coordinated to the indicia of the second set such that, when the pegs are placed in the holes with the indicia on one end of the pegs matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on one surface of the board, the indicia on the opposite end of the pegs will be matched in the proper sequence with the indicia on the other side of the board, wherein said board is provided with an indicialess opening in the form of a slot sized to receive any of a plurality of said pegs, whereby selected pegs can be interchangeably placed in said opening for learning the concepts represented by the set of indicia, and wherein each of the plurality of rows of holes is provided with a color band, each color band being of a different color and wherein each of said plurality of pegs is of a different cross-sectional shape and color from the other of said pegs.   
     
     
       24. An educational toy comprising: (a) a board having a plurality of holes on a front surface and a back surface of said board, a first set of indicia representing a first concept being positioned on the front surface of the board, one member of the first set being associated with each of said holes, a second set of indicia representing a second concept being positioned on the back surface of the board, one member of the second set being associated with each of said holes; and   (b) a plurality of pegs, each peg corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said holes, one member of the first set of indicia being positioned on one end of each of said pegs, and one member of the second set of indicia being positioned on the opposite end of said pegs, whereby said pegs can be placed within said holes for accommodating learning of the members of said sets by associating indicia on said pegs with the indicia associated with the holes;   wherein said holes are arranged in a plurality of rows, wherein each of the plurality of rows of holes is provided with a separate color band, each color band being of a different color, and wherein pegs bearing indicia corresponding to the indicia associated with a particular row of holes are formed of the same coloration as the color band that the particular row of holes is provided with, whereby the members of the sets can be learned in groups, and whereby the learning of colors is facilitated.   
     
     
       25. An educational toy comprising: (a) a board having a plurality of holes extending completely therethrough from a front surface to a back surface, a first set comprising a plurality of indicia representing a language concept being positioned on the front surface of the board, each member of the first set being positioned adjacent a respective one of said holes, a second set comprising a plurality of indicia representing a mathematical concept being positioned on the back surface of the board, each member of the second set being positioned adjacent a respective one of said holes; and   (b) a plurality of pegs equal in number to said plurality of holes, each peg corresponding in cross-sectional shape to the cross-sectional shape of at least one of said holes, one member of the first set of indicia being positioned on one end of each of said pegs and matching the indicia positioned adjacent a respective one of said holes on the front surface, and one member of the second set of indicia being positioned on the opposite end of said pegs and matching the indicia positioned adjacent a respective one of said holes on the rear surface, said pegs being placeable within said holes whereby a single set of pegs and a single board serves for accommodating learning of the members of said sets by associating indicia on said pegs with the indicia positioned adjacent the holes.   
     
     
       26. An educational toy according to claim 25, wherein the indicia on the ends of said pegs and adjacent said holes are so selected that when said pegs are positioned with said holes with the indicia on one end of each of said pegs in matching relationship with respect to the indicia adjacent the respective holes on one side of the board, the indicia on the opposite end of said pegs will be in matching relationship to the indicia adjacent the respective hole on the other side of the board, whereby language and mathematical learning operations can be used to check one another. 
     
     
       27. An educational toy according to claims 25 or 26, wherein said board is additionally provided with aperture means on both sides of said board and into which said pegs are insertable for facilitating the learning of aspects of said concepts involving the positional inter-relating of a plurality of the members of a respective set of indicia. 
     
     
       28. An educational toy according to claim 27, wherein said holes are arranged in a plurality of rows. 
     
     
       29. An educational toy according to claim 28, wherein said aperture means comprises a row of indicialess openings on each of said surfaces, all of the holes, pegs, and openings being of the same cross-sectional shape, whereby selected pegs can be interchangeably placed in said openings for learning the concepts represented by the sets of indicia.